Hire car on the coast road above Los Cristianos harbour in south Tenerife

Los Cristianos Car Hire, South Tenerife

Tenerife South Airport sits just 15 km (about 15-20 minutes) north-east on the toll-free TF-1. Pick the right firm and you can drive away with zero excess and no deposit.

Compare Car Hire Deals

Search & Compare Car Hire Deals

Free cancellation on most vehicles

Why Hire a Car in Los Cristianos

Los Cristianos is the old fishing town and main ferry port on Tenerife's sunny south coast, sitting beside Playa de las Américas and Costa Adeje. The resort itself is compact and walkable, with the Blue Flag Playa de las Vistas and the calm town beach a few minutes apart on foot.

You don't need a car to enjoy the promenade, but the rest of the island is another matter. A hire car turns a beach holiday into a proper road trip and opens up the volcanic interior, the dramatic north and the quiet coves the buses skip. See the routes worth driving in our guide to things to do around Los Cristianos.

Mount Teide and the lunar Las Cañadas crater, around 90 minutes uphill
The hairpin road to Masca village and the rugged Teno massif
The greener north: La Orotava, the old capital of La Laguna and Anaga's laurel forests
Southern coves such as Playa de la Tejita and the El Médano wind-surf coast
The harbour itself, where ferries leave for La Gomera (see our ferry port guide)

The Two-Tier Market: No-Excess Local vs Airport Desk

Car hire on Tenerife splits into two camps, and the difference shows up on your card statement, not the headline price. Local Canary firms such as Cicar, Autoreisen, Cabrera Medina and Sanasty build fully comprehensive cover into the rate; the big airport-international brands quote a low daily price and recover it through a hefty excess and desk upselling.

	Local Canary firms	Airport international brands
Excess	Zero (a todo riesgo sin franquicia)	Often €900-1,500 on a small hatchback
Card hold	Usually none; debit often accepted	Large deposit blocked on a credit card
Mileage	Unlimited	Unlimited, but watch the small print
Extra driver	Often free	Charged per day
Desk experience	Quick handover	Upsell of super cover at €15-35/day

The local model is why so many returning visitors book a Canary firm and ignore the comparison-site cheapies. Sanasty, a British-run Los Cristianos operator, meets you in the airport car park, delivers free to your hotel and takes debit cards with no deposit. Read the full breakdown on our no-excess car hire page before you decide.

Rule of thumb: if a quote looks unusually cheap, the savings are sitting in an excess you'd only discover at the desk. A zero-excess Canary rate is almost always the safer total cost.

Collecting at Tenerife South Airport (TFS)

Almost every flight from the UK lands at Tenerife South (TFS, "Reina Sofía"), roughly 15-16 km from Los Cristianos and a 15-20 minute drive north-east on the TF-1 motorway. Tenerife North (TFN) is about 75 km away, so check which airport your flight uses before booking a pick-up. Step-by-step collection notes live on our airport car hire page.

UK photocard licence is valid; no International Driving Permit is needed
Drive on the right, and there are no toll roads anywhere on Tenerife
The TF-1 runs the full south and west coast, so getting back is straightforward
Pick up early in peak weeks, as automatics are scarce on a mostly manual fleet

The TF-1 is a fast, modern road and the drive to the resort is easy in daylight. If it's your first time on the island, our driving in Tenerife guide covers the junctions, roundabouts and mountain roads in detail.

From 1 January 2026 every car in Spain must carry a connected V-16 emergency beacon, which replaces the old warning triangles. Hire fleets must supply one, and a missing beacon carries a €200 fine, so check the glovebox before you drive off.

Parking & Getting Around

The old town around the harbour and beach promenade is pedestrianised, so don't try to drive into the centre with your luggage. Drop bags at the hotel entrance off Avenida Juan Carlos I, then park nearby and walk back.

Best covered option: PARKIA "Valle Menéndez", about 300 m from the port, €2.85/hour or roughly €11.80/day (233 spaces, 2.20 m height limit)
The open-air port car park is pricier at around €25-33/day
Blue-zone (zona azul) on-street bays are paid in the daytime but free at night and on Sundays
Watch the kerb signage, as zona azul rules vary street by street

If your hotel includes parking, use it and only move the car for day trips. The 2.20 m height limit at PARKIA rules out larger SUVs and people-carriers, so book a compact car if covered parking matters to you.

When to Book

The UK is Tenerife's number-one market, with around 2.74 million British visitors in 2024, roughly 37% of the island's tourists, and Arona (which contains Los Cristianos) is a top focal point. That demand drains the fleets at predictable times of year.

Christmas and New Year
UK February half-term
Easter week
Any school holiday overlapping with a long spell of UK bad weather

Book 4-8 weeks ahead in peak periods, and earlier still if you need an automatic, as those sell out first on a mostly manual fleet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest car hire in Los Cristianos?

Compare the total cost, not the daily headline price. A local Canary firm with zero excess and no deposit usually works out cheaper overall than a low airport-desk quote that adds a large excess and paid super cover. See our no-excess car hire page for the maths.

Do I actually need a car in Los Cristianos?

Not for the resort itself, which is compact and walkable. You need one to reach Teide, Masca, the north and the quieter southern beaches without relying on bus timetables. Even two or three days of hire opens up most of the island.

How far is Tenerife South Airport from Los Cristianos?

Around 15-16 km, a 15-20 minute drive north-east on the toll-free TF-1 motorway. Tenerife North (TFN) is much further at about 75 km, so always confirm which airport your flight uses.

Do hire cars include the new V-16 beacon?

They must. Since 1 January 2026 the connected V-16 emergency beacon is mandatory across Spain and rental fleets are required to supply one. Check the glovebox at handover, because driving without it carries a €200 fine.

Can I take a hire car on the ferry to La Gomera?

Only with some firms. Cicar permits it with prior authorisation, while Autoreisen and Record go forbid taking their cars off Tenerife. Always clear it before you sail; the details are in our ferry port guide.

Are there toll roads in Tenerife?

No. Tenerife has no toll roads at all, so the TF-1 and the rest of the network are free to drive. Petrol is also cheaper than mainland Spain because the Canaries levy IGIC (about 7%) rather than mainland VAT, with the lowest prices at the Las Chafiras cluster off the TF-1. Ready to lock in a zero-excess rate before the peak weeks sell out? Compare cars and prices now and pick the firm that suits your trip. For anything else, our full FAQ covers licences, fuel policies and deposits in more depth.

Ready to compare car hire deals in Los Cristianos?

Check live prices and availability from local and international suppliers.

Compare car hire deals